How to choose the most appropriate bank for your situation?

First piece of advice before devouring this article, I would advise you to  go check out the article explaining the different types of banks in Switzerland.

Are you done? So here are the criteria to consider when making this decision: 

Your location

I live in the municipality of Chalet-à-Gobet and work in the centre of Lausanne. Thus, I have bank offices within close proximity to me. 

But if I lived in Bioley-Magnoux and worked in the neighbouring municipality of Donneloye, I would be making sure that I could find an office in at least one of those villages. That being said, I would of course not necessarily be signing up at the Cantonal Bank of Fribourg.  

Your projects 

On the other hand, if I lived in Lucens (canton of Vaud), was at the head of an SME and hat the BCF offered better services than the BCV, I would be opening an account at the BCF. There is a branch available 15 minutes away.   

The chosen bank also depends on its availability to support my projects, whether they be professional (entrepreneurship) or private (real estate investment, leasing, etc). 

Your needs 

My needs flow from my future projects and my current situation. Do I need a standard or high-end credit card? Should the credit card limit be high or low? Do I often travail abroad? Do I overdraw my account often? 

The quality of services 

Currently employed at FBK Conseils, what I care about is being able to pay my bills quickly at the very beginning of the month via my mobile app. 

But if one day I opened a SME, the priority would be the proximity to a physical advisor. 

Your age

A fair number of banks offer special services based on their clients’ age range and some extend the benefits of a youth account to 26 or 29 years old. 

“Neon? Raiffeisen? Crédit Suisse? UBS? Flowbank? Banque cantonale?” many different banks exist and your choice will depend on your situation. 

Have you made up your mind? One last quick article to explain to you the different types of accounts and you will be a KING when it comes to banks.